DocM Posted December 7, 2017 Author Share Posted December 7, 2017 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 flyingskippy and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Feed is up. T-9:00 and counting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Aww yeah. Great launch, very very slick-looking rocket. DocM 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Massive congratulations to RocketLab.... You go guys. Totally worth the wait. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 WOOT!!!! We have a new operational launcher!! Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingskippy Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Some of the best views I have seen of space yet! Were those batteries jettisoned during the "hot swap"? Congrats RocketLab! Absolutely beautiful! Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 (edited) Yes, it was hot-swapping S2 pump batteries. Ditching the dead weight maximizes performance. The payloads were for two smallsat constellations, 1x Planet Lab Dove Pioneer (Earth observation) 2x Spire Global Lemur-2 (ship tracking, meteorology) Edited January 21, 2018 by DocM Unobscured Vision and flyingskippy 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 21, 2018 Author Share Posted January 21, 2018 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SALSN Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 A short video summarizing what they are doing for people who have not followed them closely (like me) Why The Electron Rocket May Be Cheapest Way To Get To Space Emn1ty and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 Yup, we're going to hear a lot more from Rocket Lab....especially after they start launching from Cape Canaveral's new small launcher pads. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 I guess they could make use of LC39-C as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted January 24, 2018 Author Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) Rocket Lab flew a Fregat-style kick stage on Electron named "Curie". Looks like there's plenty of room for extra or larger tanks. Powered by a green monopropllant, which may be the shear-thinning monopropellant they developed under a 2011 DARPA contract. Way to go, guys! http://spacenews.com/rocket-lab-launch-also-tested-new-kick-stage/ Quote SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. The successful launch of Rocket Labs Electron rocket Jan. 20 also tested a kick stage designed to circularize the orbits of its satellite payloads. The company said Jan. 23 that the Electron carried a kick stage for the two Lemur-2 cubesats it launched for Spire. The kick stage separated from the Electrons upper stage and, after a 40-minute coast phase, fired an engine called Curie to circularize its orbits before releasing the cubesats. The Electrons upper stage placed the kick stage, as well as a Dove cubesat from Planet, into orbits of approximately 300 by 500 kilometers. Data from the U.S. Strategic Commands Space Track website shows that three of the objects, not identified but believed to be the two Lemur-2 cubesats and the kick stage, are in orbits with perigees of 490 to 500 kilometers and apogees of 530 to 535 kilometers, far more circular than the other objects tracked from the launch. > Beck said the stage could perform a number of applications to change orbits of its payloads, but didn't disclose technical specifications like the stages total delta-v. The stage could also lower its orbit after satellite deployments to minimize its time in orbit before reentry. "We can be much more conscious and deliberate about ensuring we dont leave stuff behind," he said. > Edited January 24, 2018 by DocM Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted March 7, 2018 Author Share Posted March 7, 2018 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share Posted June 23, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 My bet is they'll announce two: VAFB and Wallops. VAFB (for the Polar Azimuth flights there's no better place to launch from) and Wallops (because that place needs more activity and the Cape is pretty full up right now with SpaceX, NASA, DOD & ULA). Barring Wallops, the Cape could always break in the new Light Pads with Rocket Lab. It'd be perfect, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 (edited) They can do polar and SSO from NZ, which will remain open for business. It was my understanding their lead candidate was at KSC LC-48; one of two new small launcher pads situated between LC-39A and LC-41. Good for LEO and SSO, and polar capable if they install an autonomous flight termination system like Falcon 9/Heavy - which IS being commercialized. Edited July 11, 2018 by DocM Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 How about they get that "It's business time" launched first Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 They will once that dodgy downrange tracking station gets fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Ow, that tracking station was fixed on the same day! It was the same motor controller issue that bit them back in April again that stalled the launch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 12, 2018 Veteran Share Posted October 12, 2018 (edited) Quote Here you go world. An exclusive look inside @RocketLab's secret brand new factory or perhaps modern art museum. Rocket Lab just dropped a NUKE on the small sat industry. This place is STUNNING!!! https://twitter.com/Erdayastronaut/status/1050547219584049153 Exclusive interview and image op....this is quite the factory and the control room is a knockout. https://everydayastronaut.com/inside-rocketlab/ [image] [image] [image] more at the link... Unobscured Vision and bguy_1986 1 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Very, very, very neat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beittil Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 No offense but uhm... "It's business time" still isn't launched! Lot's of racket, very few launches so far. Nice that they got this huge ass factory that poops out rockets, but it's time to start launching these darn things already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 12, 2018 Veteran Share Posted October 12, 2018 Same could be said for Vector and Blue origin. Blue Origin will be Blue Origin and can afford to be cautious. Vector....will talk themselves into the fog... Rocket Lab reminds me of a mini-me SpaceX. They are agile, embrace technology and have a good manifest but are being tight lipped about the motor controller and software. I have a hunch that they have redesigned it and are into testing to make this issue go away, for good...as SpaceX would do. When they get going in the new year, they will be tough to catch.....patience is the key as they really are only competing with themselves in their mind, at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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